Thomas english



(No Model.) A A Q T. ENGLISH.

APPARATUS FOR SUBA UEOUS BORING. No. 256,658; Patented Apr.18,1882.

. FIGIZ Ira/enjoy, mf/iiwsses. $392M 7 time PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS ENGLISH, OF HAWLEY, DARTFORD, COUNTY OF KENT, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR SUBAQUEOUS BORING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 256,658, dated April 18, 1882,

Application filed February 2, 1882. (No model.) Patented in England April 5, 1881, and in France October 4, 1881.

' zen of England, residing atHaw-ley, Dartford,

in the county of Kent, Eugland,have invented a new and useful Improved Apparatus for Subaqueous Boring, (for which I have obtained a patentin Great Britain, No. 1,482, hearing date April 5, 1881, and in France, No. 145,142, hearing date October 4, 1881,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for boring under water, arranged in such a manner" as to permit boring operations to be continued notwithstanding tidal or other currents or changes of the water-level or movements of the barge or other vessel from which the apparatus is worked. For this purpose I employ a rotating boring-tube having at its end suitable cutters, which, when hardrock has to be bored, may be arranged as in diamond rock-drills.

At the upper end of the tube, which extends some distance above the water, I provide bearings for it in a framing, in which there is also a bearing for a short shaft at about right angles to the tube and connectedto it by bevelgearin The framing also carries a weight, the effect of which in pressing down the tube may be varied according to the nature of the work by means of a counterweight connected to the framing by a chain passing over pulleys on a derrick, which is mounted on a barge or other suitable vessel moored in the required position. On board of this vessel Iprovide an engine or other suitable motor, and I connect a revolving shalt worked by this motor to the short shaft that is geared to the drill-tube by means of a flexible twisted wire shaft, such as is frequentlyemployed for working drills in various positions and attitudes, this flexible connection allowing the drill-tube to be raised or lowered or changed in its direction within certain limits. I also connect a swiveljoint on the top of the drill-tube by flexible hose to a pump, by which water can be forced down the drilltube.

The apparatus is worked as follows: The barge or vessel, which may have several sets of the apparatus arranged along its side, is moored over the place where the boring is to be effected. Each drill-tube is lowered and has its counterweight adjusted according to the nature of the material to be bored. It is then by means of the flexible shaft and gearing caused to revolve, while water is forced through it to scour out the borings,'and it descends as the hole becomes deepened. When it has descended a certain distance the gear ing and its framing are detached,an additional length of tubeis added, and the boring is continued.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings isa side view, and Fig. 2 is afront view, of one set of the apparatus, as above described, mounted on board a barge, part of which is shown atA.

On board this barge is the revolving shaft- 0, which is driven by an engine or other motor. On this shaft, for each boring apparatus there is a rope-pulley, which can be thrown into or out of action by a clutch worked by a lever, P. The rope Q passes over guide-pulleys R and round another rope-pulley, O,which is in a frame that can be .hauled by tackle, so as to tighten, as required, the rope Q. The axis of the pulley O is connected by the flexible shaft D to the axis of the bevel-pinion E, which is mounted in a bearingin the framing G, in which also is mounted the boring-tube F, having on it a bevel-wheel gearing with the'pinion E. ()n the framing G rest the weights H, which aid in pressing down the boring-tube, but which can be more or less relieved by counterweights L, connected to the frame, which carries the weights H by a chain passing over the pulley S. This pulley can be turned by a hand-rope passing round a rope-wheel, T, and this wheel can be retarded or arrested by a brake, U. A flexible hose, N, communicates from /a forcepump situated in any convenient part of the barge to a swivel union on the top of the bor ing-tube. When in boring the tube Fhas'descended till the frame G reaches a stop projecting from the side of the barge in the position indicated by the dotted lines Giu Fig.1, the flexible shaft D being then in the position D, the rope-pulley on the shaft 0 is unclutched by moving the lever P, and by working the rope-wheel T the framing G is raised a sufficient height to introduce a fresh length of boring-tube between it and thetubeF, whereupon the boring is continued, as already described. It is obvious that for the flexible twisted wire shaft D a rigid shaft connected by universal 5 mention, and the best way I know of carrying it into practical operation, I claim- In apparatus for subaqueous boring, the combination of a barge or floating vessel, a boring-tube loaded with adjustable weights and 10 suspended from a framing on the vessel, adriving-shaft worked by an engine or other motor on board of the vessel, and a flexible orjointed shaft and gearing connecting the said drivingshaft to the boring-tube, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereofI have signed myname to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 12th day of January, A. D. 1882.

THOMAS ENGLISH.

Witnesses:

OLIVER IMRAY, CHAS; BERKLEY HARRIS. 

